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Pasta and eggplant, also good in white – Italian Cuisine

If you love pasta alla norma, you can't miss these delicious versions of pasta and aubergine in white too. A simple summer-proof idea that will conquer everyone

When we say pasta and eggplant, we often refer to the delicious Sicilian recipe of pasta alla Norma. Here fried aubergines and tomatoes reign, transporting us to a world full of flavors and memories. But if you love this traditional dish, you will certainly fall in love with all the white recipes we have collected for you. You will discover a world of delicate and interesting flavors, where pasta and aubergines combine in many different ways thanks to spices, cheeses and other ingredients. However, before discovering these dishes, we review them basic rules of the pairing pasta and eggplant.

The eggplants

Like all simple dishes, this too requires a careful selection of the main ingredients. So make sure that the aubergines are fresh and of good quality and "dry" them, letting them rest sliced and sprinkled with coarse salt. Once this has been done, carefully remove the salt and proceed with the cooking you have established for the recipe.

The pasta

To prepare good pasta and aubergines we do not recommend a specific format, as different types of pasta combine perfectly with our aubergines. In particular with fried aubergines, baked and in a pan, all dry pasta shapes will be perfect, while if you choose to use fresh pasta we recommend reducing them to cream or pesto.

The herbs

Among the ideal herbs to enhance this dish are mint, thyme, marjoram and basil, but nothing prevents you from experiencing more intense flavors like tarragon and coriander. To get a fresher result, we always recommend using a piece of herbs during cooking and keeping a small portion of it to be added raw at the end.

The ingredients ok

In a good pasta and eggplant we can also find ingredients such as raisins, toasted pine nuts, fish and cheese. Among these the most suitable are provola and pecorino, to be added in a controlled quantity so as not to cover the delicate flavor of aubergines.

Pasta if you do sport … is it good? – Italian Cuisine

Inserted in a healthy and balanced diet, it is an excellent food also for athletes. Helps to have energy and fight fatigue. Find out why

In addition to being the symbolic dish of the Mediterranean diet, pasta is an excellent ally even for those who play sports. Inserted in a healthy and balanced diet and consumed in the right quantities helps improve physical performance. «For example, eating a plate of spaghetti or penne with tomato seasoned with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the meal prior to training increases the availability of sugars and therefore of“ fuel ”for a longer period. As a result, it helps keep fatigue away and avoid energy losses during training, "explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò. "In fact pasta is a good source of complex carbohydrates that supply energy to the body slowly". To increase the benefits of this food the ideal is to choose it in the integral version. «Compared to the white one, it has many more advantages. Contains proteins that help repair muscles and lean on. Furthermore, it is rich in vitamin E and polyphenols which, thanks to their antioxidant action, improve circulation and consequently help improve physical endurance ", explains the expert. But the benefits do not end there. "Antioxidants help counteract oxidative stress and curb the action of free radicals that are formed as a result of physical activity," says the nutritionist.

Fights fatigue

Pasta has a real energizing effect. "Consumed in the right quantities helps improve performance during physical activity and increases resistance to prolonged physical effort. Brings B vitamins that are involved in the metabolism of fats, sugars and proteins. These vitamins promote the production of energy necessary to combat the physical fatigue that can occur during training, "explains the nutritionist. Pasta is also a good source of magnesium. "This mineral promotes proper blood circulation, muscle functioning and the transmission of nerve impulses to the muscles." But there is more. "Pasta also contains tryptophan. This amino acid facilitates the release by the brain of serotonin, a wellness neurotransmitter that helps to reduce the feeling of fatigue and to face training with an extra gear, "says the expert.

Eliminate hunger after training

Another advantage of pasta is that it helps not to eat too much after doing physical activity. Pasta is a food that has an excellent satiating power. "The complex carbohydrates of which it is rich provide energy to the body in a slow way and help us feel fuller and longer. The sense of satiety increases if the pasta is whole. The fibers reduce the absorption of sugars and fats, slow gastric emptying and prolong the sense of satiety. To enhance its satiating capacity the advice is to eat it al dente topped with extra virgin olive oil, with tomato or with seasonal vegetables. "Prolonged cooking makes the starch it is rich more quickly absorbed by the body and reduces the sense of satiety" concludes the nutritionist Valentina Schirò.

Because minestrone is good for health – Italian Cuisine

Prepared with many different vegetables, vegetables and legumes, it is a dish that provides the body with super nutrients that slow aging and help it stay in shape

The minestrone has always been one of the symbolic dishes of traditional Italian cuisine and the Mediterranean diet. Prepared with vegetables, vegetables and legumes, it is a super healthy mix. "Often little considered in the daily menus, today it is returning to the table because it allows to fill up with a great variety of vitamins, mineral salts, enzymes, antioxidants and other nutrients that allow you to stay young and healthy, strong and full of energy" , explains the nutritionist Valentina Schirò. To get the maximum of its benefits the ideal is to bet on seasonal vegetables of different colors. "The better the variety of vegetables, the better." Red vegetables and vegetables such as radishes and tomatoes, for example, are rich in lycopene, a valuable antioxidant for the health of the cardiovascular system. Orange-colored vegetables like carrots and squash are a veritable mine of carotenoids, including beta-carotene, which is essential for healthy skin and vision. Those of green color like spinach, chicory and chard provide chlorophyll, a substance that has a protective action on the entire immune system. The white vegetables like fennel, cauliflower, cabbage, onion are rich in flavonoids, in particular quercetin, useful for the prevention of inflammatory states. Finally, the purple ones, like aubergines, have a high anthocyanin content, antioxidants that counteract "bad" cholesterol and the onset of cardiovascular diseases, "explains the expert.

Sated and purified

Minestrone is an excellent ally for those on a diet. «Thanks to the high presence of fibers, of which vegetables, vegetables and legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.) are particularly rich, slows down gastric emptying and the absorption of sugars in the blood. In addition, it prolongs satiety and curbs sudden hunger attacks explains Valentina Schirò. But the benefits do not end there. Thanks to its detoxifying properties, minestrone stimulates the purification of the liver and the entire body. "It ensures minerals such as magnesium and potassium that help drain and eliminate excess fluids, responsible for water retention and swelling."

Keeps the bowel healthy

The minestrone is rich in fibers that help the intestine to stay healthy. «They promote intestinal regularity and consequently the elimination of toxins and waste substances. The soluble ones present in artichokes, tomatoes, leeks, asparagus, onion and in many other vegetables such as inulin have a prebiotic action. They nourish and maintain intestinal bacterial flora in health ", concludes the expert.